Sweet, spicy, and sticky tofu is crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. This Asian-inspired dish is absolutely bursting with flavour and guaranteed to impress even the pickiest of eaters.

Side view of tofu with red sauce and rice on the side.

If you’re craving takeout, but avoiding oil and all the grease that typically comes with it, you HAVE to try this Asian sticky tofu!

It’s flavourful, crispy, and utterly delicious. This whole food plant-based dish will impress even the most skeptical of eaters.

In fact, even if you think you don’t like tofu, I bet you’ll love this dish.

Just like my air fried tofu, the tofu is crisp and packed with flavour. Pair it with plain steamed rice, coconut rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for a lighter meal.

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Ingredients + Substitutions
Instructions
Variations
Storage
Expert Tips
More delicious tofu recipes
📖 Recipe

Chopsticks picking up a cube of tofu with red sauce, sesame seeds and chives on top.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious Asian sticky tofu.

Ingredients needed to make Asian sticky tofu are scattered on kitchen counter. — *See recipe card for quantities.*

For the tofu

Tofu: Use extra firm tofu, and make sure to press the tofu first to remove excess liquid. This will maximize the crispiness. You don’t need a fancy tofu press, just follow my quick press method in the recipe card below.
Soy sauce: Use low sodium soy sauce or low sodium Tamari if you require a gluten free option. If needed, you can always add more salt, but since we’re using a fair bit of soy sauce, it’s best to use low sodium.
Onion powder + garlic powder: Adds flavour to your tofu while baking.
Brown rice flour: Adds a crispy outer layer to your tofu cubes, while keeping this dish gluten-free and cornstarch free.

For the sticky tofu sauce

Soy sauce: Use low sodium soy sauce or low sodium Tamari if you require a gluten free option. If needed, you can always add more salt, but since we’re using a fair bit of soy sauce, it’s best to use low sodium.
Rice vinegar: Adds tang and flavour to the sticky marinade. You may sub with apple cider vinegar if you don’t have any rice vinegar on hand.
Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is unrefined, so I prefer using it over refined options. However, brown sugar, or even maple syrup or date syrup would work well in its place, so use what you have and prefer.
Flour: I use brown rice flour here as well. This time, it’s being used to slightly thicken the sticky sauce.
Sriracha: Adds a subtle heat to the dish, but is not overpowering. It compliments the sweet notes perfectly. I prefer sriracha, but you may use any hot sauce you like.
Garlic + ginger: Adds extra flavour to the marinade.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

First, cut your tofu into bite size pieces and press it using my quick press method described in the recipe card below.

Cubes of tofu in glass bowl with flour on top.

Place the tofu cubes and soy sauce (or Tamari) in a small bowl and gently stir. (photo 1)

Tofu cubes in glass bowl with soy sauce and seasoning.

Then add the seasoning and flour and continue mixing until evenly distributed. (photo 2)

Tofu cubes on baking sheet lined with parchment paper before baking.

Arrange the coated tofu pieces in a single layer, with plenty of space in between each one. (photo 3)

Bake until crispy and golden, approx. 25-30 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point. (photo 4)

Soy sauce, minced garlic, seasoning and flour in large cast iron pan.

While the tofu is baking, add all the sauce ingredients to a medium pan. (photo 5)

Red marinade in cast iron pan being whisked.

Whisk and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. (photo 6)

Tofu pieces in pan with red sauce being mixed.

Turn off the heat and add the crispy tofu pieces to the pan with the sauce. (photo 7)

Cast iron pan with tofu covered in thick red sauce.

Gently toss to evenly coat each piece with the sticky tofu marinade. (photo 8)

Then serve with rice or noodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and chives.

Sticky tofu in plate with rice beside it.

Variations

Love the idea of sticky tofu but want to change it up? Here’s a few fun ideas for you.

Asian sticky chickpeas: Use the same marinade with 3 cups of canned or cooked chickpeas.
Sticky soy curls: Rehydrate approx. 4 ounces of soy curls in broth and then pan fry with the marinade for 5-8 minutes.
Orange tofu: Use the same method to bake your tofu, but change the sauce to this delicious orange sauce.
Sweet + sour tofu: Use the same method to bake your tofu, but change the sauce to this amazing sweet and sour sauce.

Or check out this super CRISPY tofu you can make in your air fryer.

Storage

Your sticky tofu will taste best when freshly made. As it sits in the sauce, the tofu will start to lose some of its crispiness. Plan to enjoy it straight away.

If you have leftovers, keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat on stovetop. To reheat, add a splash of water to the pan of tofu to loosen the sauce.

Although the flavour will still be amazing, the texture will lose some of its crispiness the longer it sits.

Expert Tips

Arrange the cubes of tofu in a single layer with space in between each piece. They shouldn’t touch each other on the baking tray in order to get the maximum crisp level.
If you don’t have a convection oven, it may take an extra few minutes to get your tofu crispy. Bake until desired crispiness level is reached.
For best texture, plan to enjoy your Asian sticky tofu immediately. The longer it sits in the sauce, it will begin to lose some of its crispy exterior.

More delicious tofu recipes

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